Annan meets Assad as Western countries expel Syria envoys

Published May 29th, 2012 - 12:48 GMT

The international community is trying to increase pressure on the Syrian regime in an attempt to stop the killing and end the ongoing crisis.

The international community is trying to increase pressure on the Syrian regime in an attempt to stop the killing and end the ongoing crisis. On Tuesday at least 20 people were killed in violent incidents.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad received on Tuesday morning, the UN and Arab League envoy Kofi Annan, reported the official news agency SANA . Kofi Annan is also set to meet representatives of the opposition. "Those responsible for these brutal crimes should be held accountable," the former UN chief said about the killings of over 130 people over the weekend.

On his part, newly elected French president, Francois Hollande said on Tuesday that the ambassador of Syria to France Lamia Shakkour would be expelled this week, in response to the weekend massacre at the Syrian town of Hula. This decision will be conveyed to the Ambassador "today (Tuesday) or tomorrow (Wednesday)," said the French head of state after talks with Benin President Thomas Boni Yayi, adding that the group of "friends of Syria "would meet "early July" in Paris.

In a related development, the Syrian ambassador to Germany was summoned Tuesday to the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs where he heard abou the decision to expel him from German territory, German press agency dpa reported. Later, Australia, Canada and Italy announced the expulsion of the Syrian envoys from their territories.